Posts By: Jason Resnick
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State Minimum Wages to Increase Jan. 1, 2018
Legislation has been passed that will affect employers in California, Arizona and Colorado. Below is a breakdown of how the minimum wage laws will affect all Western Growers members. California In 2016, SB 3 was signed to gradually increase the minimum wage in California to $15 per hour by 2022. Beginning January 1, 2018, employers with ...
Wildfires Provoke Cautionary Advisory to Employers on Worker Safety
Cal/OSHA issued an advisory yesterday reminding employers of the dangers posed by wildfire smoke and the special precautions that must be taken to protect workers. Employers with operations exposed to wildfire smoke must consider taking appropriate measures as part of their Injury and Illness Prevention Program under Title 8 section 3203 of the California Code ...
Cal/OSHA Issues Updated Guidance to Employers on Respiratory Protection from Wildfires
With the Southern California wildfires still raging, Cal/OSHA issued an advisory providing updated guidance to employers with outdoor workers who may be exposed to wildfire smoke. The advisory states: When outdoor workers are exposed to air quality that is designated “Unhealthy”, “Very Unhealthy” or “Hazardous” by local air quality management districts, employers are required to…
2018 H-2A Wage Rates Announced; Become Effective January 4, 2018
Today, December 21, 2017, the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the Department of Labor (Department) issued its Federal Register Notice to announce the 2018 Adverse Effect Wage Rates (AEWRs). This notice applies to the employment of temporary or seasonal nonimmigrant foreign workers (H–2A workers) to perform agricultural labor or services. AEWRs are the minimum ...
New Immigrant Worker Protection Act Now in Effect
California employers must now comply with the new Immigrant Worker Protection Act (AB 450), which became effective on January 1, 2018. Under the new law, employers may not voluntarily consent to an immigration enforcement agent entering a non-public area at a place of employment unless the agent provides a judicial warrant. With the exception of ...
ICE Raids 7-Eleven Stores, Prompts Renewed ICE Audits & Raids Preparation
As recently reported in the news, U.S. immigration agents raided dozens of 7-Eleven stores yesterday and arrested more than 20 people in the biggest crackdown on a company suspected of hiring undocumented workers since President Donald Trump took office. Western Growers encourages members to always be prepared in the event that Immigration & Customs Enforcement ...
Containerboard Products Antitrust Class Action Settlement Filing Deadline Approaching
As previously reported in Spotlight, Western Growers has partnered with Financial Recovery Strategies (FRS), a leading asset recovery and cost reduction firm, to help members recover their fair shares of class action recoveries. The Containerboard Products Antitrust Class Action Settlement has now grown to $376.4 million, and not all of the defendants have settled. That ...
Government Shutdown Could Cause H-2A Delays
If Congress cannot approve a budget by this Friday at midnight, the federal government will shut down. While it would likely be business as usual for most private employers in the United States, H-2A users could be dramatically impacted. That is because U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) staff that process H-2A foreign labor certifications are ...
Save the Date: 2018 California Employment Law Update Webinar
January 1, 2018, rang in a host of new California employment laws. Whether you own and operate a company in California or you just do business here, you need to be aware of these new laws. Western Growers will be hosting a webinar on February 7 to help members get in compliance with the new ...
USCIS Now Emailing H-2A Notifications
United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it has begun using email to send receipt and approval notices to H-2A petitioners. In addition, USCIS is now using pre-paid overnight mailers provided by H-2A petitioners to send any requests for evidence (RFE) issued in a case. While the state workforce agencies and the U.S. ...
Federal Formula for Calculating “Flat Sum” Bonus Overtime Ruled Unlawful in California
Reversing the decisions of the trial court and Court of Appeal that had ruled in favor of the employer, the California Supreme Court has held that a California employer cannot use the federal formula for calculating overtime on a flat sum bonus during a single pay period, but must use the method created by the ...
Cal/OSHA Reminds Employers to Protect Their Outdoor Workers during Periods of Extreme Heat
With spring in full swing and summer only a few months away, Cal/OSHA is reminding employers to take the necessary steps to ensure their employees are protected during heat waves. Extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the country, so preventing heat-related illnesses is crucial. Here are some recommendations for employers: Train all ...
FLC Processing Available in Fresno on April 25 & 26
On April 25 and 26, the U.S. Department of Labor will be processing Farm Labor Contractor (FLC) and Farm Labor Contractor Employee (FLCE) Certificates at its satellite office in Clovis, California. The satellite office—the Western Regional Farm Labor Certificate Processing Office at Clovis—will be processing certificates for all FLC/FLCE’s by appointment only. Appointments are from ...
California Supreme Court Makes it More Difficult to Classify Workers as Independent Contractors
On April 30th, the California Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion on how the Industrial Wage Orders govern independent contractor versus employer status in California. The case will make it much more difficult for companies to prove that independent contractors are properly classified. Companies engage independent contractors for a variety of reasons including avoidance of ...
Western Growers Files Amicus Brief in U.S. Supreme Court ESA Case
Western Growers recently filed an amicus brief in support of petitioners in Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, an Endangered Species Act case pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. Petitioners challenge a final rule issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designating critical habitat for the dusky gopher frog, which was upheld ...
H-2A Roundtable Sessions to be Held Throughout June
H-2A roundtable discussions will be held in Salinas, Sonoma and Napa throughout June to delve into topics including H-2A compliance, implications and best practices. Jason Resnick, Western Growers’ vice president and general counsel, will be among the labor experts who will provide insight on how best to navigate and stay in compliance with the H-2A ...
U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Class Action Waivers in Employment Arbitration Agreements
The U.S. Supreme Court has issued a highly anticipated decision on the issue of whether class action waivers in employment arbitration agreements are enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The Supreme Court’s opinion in three consolidated cases (Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis; Ernst & Young LLP. v. Morris; NLRB v. Murphy Oil) resolves a ...
Appellate Court to ALRB: Count The Gerawan Workers’ Votes
In a unanimous 138-page opinion issued on May 30, 2018, the Fifth District Court of Appeal vacated the Agricultural Labor Relations Board’s (ALRB) decision to dismiss the decertification petition and set aside the election of Gerawan Farming Inc.’s workers and directed the Board to tally the workers’ ballots that it ordered impounded over four years ...
Labor Commissioner Fines FLC and Growers $646,875 in Waiting Time Penalties
The California Labor Commissioner’s Office has issued citations to a large farm labor contracting operation for failing to timely provide farmworkers with their final paychecks. The Labor Commissioner alleges that Vista Santa Rosa Inc., which operates in the Coachella Valley, regularly waited at least three days to pay 1,374 seasonal farmworkers their final paychecks, instead ...
REMINDER – Protect Outdoor Workers during Summer Heat Waves
A period of extreme heat is expected across Central and Southern California beginning on Friday. It is times like these that Cal/OSHA reminds employers to take the necessary steps to ensure their employees are protected during record-breaking heat waves. Extreme heat is the number one weather-related killer in the country so preventing heat-related illnesses is ...